Residency Education

A Physical Therapist Residency is a planned program of post professional education for licensed PTs. Residencies are overseen by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE). Residency curricula are developed from the Description of Specialist Practice (Women´s Health DSP) and includes didactic instruction and mentored clinical practice. Residencies generally range from 9-12 months in length. Upon completion, the PT resident should be prepared to provide skilled care for patients in women´s health and to take the Women´s Health Certified Specialist (WCS) exam upon completion. APTA highly advocates completing a residency program. As more programs are developed across the country, potential applicants will have an increased opportunity to complete a residency program. Those physical therapists deciding to complete a postprofessional program and sit for the specialist exam are more marketable as specialized practitioners. In addition, individuals who complete the program(s) may have the opportunity to become involved with residency programs (development, faculty, mentoring, etc.).

THE BENEFIT

Completion of an ABPTRFE accredited residency program is one of the ways an individual can qualify to sit for the Specialist Certification Exam. Additionally, those with residency training have demonstrated to Score Higher (.pdf) than their nonresidency trained counterparts. For information regarding the Specialist Certification Exam, please contact [email protected].